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Thread: Copy user profiles in vista

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Posts
    24

    Copy user profiles in vista

    In windows XP with multiple users you can set up one account they way I
    you want and then went into the user profile dialog and copy the one account
    over top the remaining accounts. However, in Vista home premium, the
    accounts are not listed with the exception. copying my user to the second admin user (yes, I also once connected as the second admin user in order to create its empty profile).

    But the "Copy To" button remains grayed out !

    What else can I try ?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Posts
    1,203

    Re: Copy user profiles in vista

    Hey,
    Copy the first account profile without rebooting. Windows keeps the first accounts user registry locked until the reboot.

    • Create an admin account that is NOT administrator.
    • Customize the profile. Desktop, Quick Launch, power settings, etc...
    • Shut down or restart the computer.
    • Log on as administrator.
    • You should now be able to copy the second profile to the default profile

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Posts
    4,085

    Re: Copy user profiles in vista

    You need to use use the unattended setting to overwrite the default user
    profile.
    the Control Panel - System applet should not be used to overwrite the
    default user profile.
    Download the Windows AIK for the documentation on how to this:
    For example:
    • CopyProfile
    • Use the following steps to use CopyProfile to set customized user profiles:
    • Log on as a user whose profile you can customize (for example, the
    • built-in-administrator account).
    • Customize the desired user profile settings.
    • Set CopyProfile to true in the Unattend.xml file that you will use with
    • Sysprep in the next step.
    • Run sysprep /generalize unattend:unattend.xml to copy the customized user profile settings over the default user profile.
    • All subsequent user accounts that are created will have the customizations that you have set. For details about Sysprep, see the Sysprep TechnicalReference in the Windows OEM Preinstallation Kit (Windows OPK) User'sGuide. (Opk.chm).


    This setting does not copy the built-in administrator profile unless the
    built-in administrator is the currently logged-on user.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Posts
    3,295

    Re: Copy user profiles in vista

    You can make your Vista's admin account which acts like in XP.

    Remember that cute "Administrator" account you see when you login to safe mode in XP? That's the built-in administrator account that's installed by default, and disabled by default too, after a little digging-in I made this tutorial that'll let you enable and use this account in normal mode, and with a little other tweak, enjoying an XP-like administrator experience, while UAC is left ON (or off, it doesn't matter), but with no prompts or right clicks.

    For Windows Vista Ultimate/Business/Enterprise:

    1- Click Start, and type "secpol.msc" in the search area and click Enter. (You may receive a prompt from UAC, approve/login and proceed)
    2- In the left list, choose "Local Policies", then "Security Options"
    3- Set "Accounts: Administrator account status" to Enabled.
    4- Set "User Account Control: Admin Approval Mode for the Built-in Administrator account" to Disabled.

    For Windows Vista Home Basic/Home Premium:

    1- Click Start, and type "cmd" in the search area, right click on "Command Prompt" and select 'Run as Administrator".

    2- In the command prompt type "net users Administrator /active:yes" (Note the capital "A" in Administrator) and press Enter, you will get a confirmation as "The command completed successfully".

    3- Click Start, and type "regedit" in the search area and click Enter, navigate to: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]
    Double click on "FilterAdministratorToken" and set it to "0"

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    3,388

    Re: Copy user profiles in vista

    To do this under Vista or XP
    • make two more "administrator" user accounts
    • now log into each accounts (this makes the appropriate directories)
    • log into the one you don't want to copy from or to (you can't copy from or to active accounts)
    • now copy profile from the "one" to the other you want to "use"
    • log into the account you want to "use"


    You will find all you settings as in the other account, delete the unneeded account and and change the account type to standard n Vista or Limited in XP

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